Orlando Guardians coach Terrell Buckley appears completely fed up with his team’s play in this comeback season of the XFL. After a sloppy 30-12 loss to the Brahmas, they stand last in the XFL rankings. Now, the guy on the sidelines has a message for anyone on the roster who doesn’t want to give maximum effort.
Buckley is now off to an 0-2 start at the helm of the Guardians. During a mid-game interview on Sunday, he blasted his team’s lack of effort, asserting that he’s looking for “young men that want to play.”
A 14-year NFL veteran and Super Bowl Champion, Buckley was the cornerback coach at Ole Miss before accepting the job in Orlando. He was being quizzed during the ESPN broadcast and did not hesitate to make his feelings known. The frustration had finally boiled over, live on national television.
“We’ve gotta get different guys in there,” he said during the sideline interview. He added, “Obviously, I’ve got guys out there that are not competing, that are not making plays. So we gotta get people in there, young men, that want to play. They want to compete and make plays.”
Terrell Buckely did not hold back 😳@XFL2023 | @XFLGuardians pic.twitter.com/q3ABgdfONh
— NFL on ESPN (@ESPNNFL) February 26, 2023
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Terrell Buckley had reason to be upset, as his team was essentially dominated by San Antonio in Week 2 of the XFL Season.
On top of their defense surrendering 30 points, Orlando couldn’t get any kind of passing game going at all. Quarterbacks Paxton Lynch and Deondre Francois combined to go 15 of 32 for just 87 yards. The pair each contributed a touchdown and Francois tossed their lone interception.
In contrast, San Antonio signal caller Jack Coan had a field day with the Guardians’ defense. The former Notre Dame QB was an efficient 16-for-24 through the air and had three touchdowns with no interceptions.
The XFL is filled with several former players and coaches who are trying to get back to the NFL.
Established names like Jim Haslett and Wade Phillips have been head coaches in the NFL before, and they are likely looking for one more shot under the headset somewhere. Meanwhile, the XFL has also provided some inroads for former players who are looking to add to their resumes. Hall of Famer Rod Woodson, along with former NFL players like Anthony Becht and Reggie Barlow, are all chasing their coaching dream in the secondary league.
Ironically, coaching on the opposite sideline against Terrell Buckley on Sunday afternoon was former rival Hines Ward. The pair squared off several times in some rough-and-tumble AFC battles when Ward was a star receiver for the Steelers, and Buckley was a premier defensive back in New England and Miami.
Ward got his first career win as a head coach against Orlando on Sunday. His Brahmas squad now stands at 1-1 in the young season.
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